Electrode for application to human skin

Abstract

An electrode for application to the human skin, includes an electrically non-conductive support which on its upper side, facing away from the skin, has a protruding, electrically conductive connecting element with a terminal for removable connection of a signal conductor. A transverse conductor is provided which extends at least partially on the opposite, lower side of the support and is electrically coupled to the connecting element and to a contact medium facing the skin. The connecting element is made of a single piece, which on the one hand is connected to the transverse electrical conductor, and on the other hand has the terminal for releasable connection of a separate signal conductor.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An electrode for application to human skin, comprising:
 an electrically non-conductive carrier having a top side and an underside opposite the top side, the underside being configured to face skin of a user; 
 an electrically conductive connecting element projecting from the top side of the carrier remote from the skin, the connecting element having a connection location for releasably connecting a separate signal conductor; and 
 a transverse conductor arranged so as to electrically connect the connecting element to a contact medium facing the skin, 
 wherein the connecting element is formed of a single part which is in connected relationship with the transverse conductor and has the connection location for releasably connecting the separate signal conductor, 
 wherein the connecting element and the contact medium are arranged at laterally mutually displaced locations on the carrier, 
 wherein the transverse conductor is flat and is attached to the underside of the carrier, 
 wherein the connecting element has a holding flange which projects laterally from the connecting element, the holding flange being attached to an underside of the transverse conductor such that the holding flange is spaced apart from the underside of the carrier via the transverse conductor, and such that the connecting element is only connected to the carrier on the underside of the carrier, 
 wherein a support layer is attached to an underside of the holding flange such that the holding flange is arranged between the support layer and the underside of the transverse conductor relative to a thickness direction, and wherein the support layer extends laterally beyond the holding flange of the connecting element such that laterally outer portions of the support layer are connected to the underside of the carrier, and 
 wherein the connecting element projects through an opening in the carrier. 
 
     
     
       2. The electrode according to  claim 1 , wherein the connecting element comprises metal or conductive plastic. 
     
     
       3. The electrode according to  claim 1 , wherein the connecting element has a substantially spherical head, and a reduced-diameter neck adjoining the head, and wherein the holding flange is arranged at an end of the neck remote from the head. 
     
     
       4. The electrode according to  claim 3 , wherein the holding flange is plate-shaped. 
     
     
       5. The electrode according to  claim 1 , wherein the connecting element is overall of a substantially rotationally symmetrical configuration. 
     
     
       6. The electrode according to  claim 1 , wherein the contact medium is a gel in the form of a conductive adhesive or a saline-filled sponge. 
     
     
       7. The electrode according to  claim 1 , wherein the support layer is in the form of a double-sided adhesive tape or a tape made of a thermally activatable adhesive or a tape made of a thermoplastic material suitable for direct thermoplastic connection to the carrier, and is glued on one side with the connecting element and the carrier. 
     
     
       8. The electrode according to  claim 7 , wherein the double-sided adhesive tape is glued on the other side with a plaster layer, wherein the plaster can be glued on the skin to fix the electrode. 
     
     
       9. The electrode according to  claim 1 , wherein the support layer is formed by a plaster layer, wherein the plaster layer can be glued on the skin to fix the electrode. 
     
     
       10. The electrode according to  claim 9 , wherein the plaster layer is glued to the carrier and the holding flange of the connecting element by means of a layer applied thereto of self-adhesive or a thermally activatable adhesive. 
     
     
       11. The electrode according to  claim 1 , wherein the carrier is formed of a dimensionally stable film. 
     
     
       12. The electrode according to  claim 1 , wherein the underside of the carrier is coated with adhesive. 
     
     
       13. The electrode according to  claim 1 , wherein the transverse conductor comprises at least two different electrically conductive materials, one of which is galvanically connected to the connecting element and another of which is galvanically connected to the contact medium. 
     
     
       14. The electrode according to  claim 13 , wherein the transverse conductor is in the form of a layer of a first electrically conductive material, and a second electrically conductive material provided on the first electrically conductive material in a region of the contact medium. 
     
     
       15. The electrode according to  claim 14 , wherein the first electrically conductive material is a metal or a metal alloy, a plastic film which is conductive throughout or superficially, or a textile material which is conductive throughout or superficially. 
     
     
       16. The electrode according to  claim 14 , wherein the second material is formed by a pair of silver/silver chloride or tin/tin chloride or another redox pair suitable for depolarising the electrode. 
     
     
       17. The electrode according to  claim 1 , wherein the holding flange is connected to the carrier and the transverse conductor, and wherein the holding flange has at least one recess or a bore in its surface. 
     
     
       18. The electrode according to  claim 4 , wherein bores pass through the holding flange. 
     
     
       19. The electrode according to  claim 4 , wherein the holding flange includes recesses at a peripheral edge of the holding flange, and wherein the recesses are tooth-shaped or wave-shaped. 
     
     
       20. The electrode according to  claim 1 , wherein the carrier and the support layer connected thereto has at least one incision in a region beside the connecting element, which incision allows mobility of the connecting element with respect to a plaster layer provided for gluing to the skin. 
     
     
       21. The electrode according to  claim 1 , wherein an electrically conductive adhesive is provided between the transverse conductor and the connecting element or a portion of the holding flange. 
     
     
       22. The electrode according to  claim 1 , wherein the connecting element is pre-mounted on the electrode and permanently connected thereto. 
     
     
       23. The electrode according to  claim 2 , wherein the connecting element comprises a deep-drawn metal sheet or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) doped with conductive carbon fibres. 
     
     
       24. The electrode according to  claim 6 , wherein the contact medium is arranged in a recess of a plaster layer, and is a gel doped with chlorides. 
     
     
       25. The electrode according to  claim 1 , wherein a reduced-diameter neck of the connecting element projects through the opening. 
     
     
       26. The electrode according to  claim 1 , wherein the support layer is glued to the carrier. 
     
     
       27. The electrode according to  claim 8 , wherein the plaster layer can be glued on the skin by means of a patient-side coating made of biocompatible adhesive. 
     
     
       28. The electrode according to  claim 9 , wherein the plaster layer can be glued on the skin by means of a patient-side coating made of biocompatible adhesive. 
     
     
       29. The electrode according to  claim 11 , wherein the carrier is formed of a dimensionally stable film of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). 
     
     
       30. The electrode according to  claim 12 , wherein the adhesive is self-adhesive or thermally activatable. 
     
     
       31. The electrode according to  claim 14 , wherein the layer of the first electrically conductive material is a strip-shaped layer, and the second electrically conductive material is coated on the first electrically conductive material only in the region of the contact medium. 
     
     
       32. The electrode according to  claim 17 , wherein the holding flange is glued to the carrier and the transverse conductor. 
     
     
       33. An electrode for application to human skin, comprising:
 an electrically non-conductive carrier having a top side and an underside opposite the top side, the underside being configured to face skin of a user; 
 an electrically conductive connecting element projecting from the top side of the carrier remote from the skin, the connecting element having a connection location for releasably connecting a separate signal conductor; and 
 a transverse conductor arranged so as to electrically connect the connecting element to a contact medium facing the skin, 
 wherein the connecting element is formed of a single part which is in connected relationship with the transverse conductor and has the connection location for releasably connecting the separate signal conductor, 
 wherein the connecting element and the contact medium are arranged at laterally mutually displaced locations on the carrier, 
 wherein the transverse conductor has flat regions and is attached to the underside of the carrier, 
 wherein the connecting element has a holding flange which projects laterally from the connecting element, the holding flange being attached to an underside of the transverse conductor such that the holding flange is spaced apart from the underside of the carrier via the transverse conductor, 
 wherein a support layer is attached to an underside of the holding flange such that the holding flange is arranged between the support layer and the underside of the transverse conductor relative to a thickness direction, and wherein the support layer extends laterally beyond the holding flange of the connecting element such that laterally outer portions of the support layer are connected to the underside of the carrier, 
 wherein the connecting element projects through an opening in the carrier, and 
 wherein the carrier, the transverse conductor, the holding flange and the support layer are pressed in the thickness direction so as to form a stepped configuration in which
 the transverse conductor forms a step along an upper surface of the holding flange, a laterally outer side surface of the holding flange, and an upper surface of the support layer, and 
 the carrier forms steps along upper surfaces and laterally outer side surfaces of the transverse conductor, and along the upper surface and a laterally outer side surface of the support layer. 
 
 
     
     
       34. A method of producing the electrode according to  claim 1 , the method comprising:
 applying the transverse conductor to the underside of the electrically non-conductive carrier; 
 producing a through opening through the transverse conductor and the carrier; 
 introducing the connecting element from the underside of the carrier into the through opening, such that the connection location for a signal conductor projects from the top side of the carrier and the connecting element bears with the holding flange against the transverse conductor; and 
 covering the holding flange of the connecting element with a support layer which is glued to the carrier laterally beside the holding flange. 
 
     
     
       35. The method according to  claim 34 , further comprising:
 applying a plaster layer which is adhesive on the underside of the carrier or the support layer; and 
 introducing an electrical contact medium into a recess in the plaster layer such that the transverse conductor is contacted.